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  • Writer's pictureSusan T. Evans

To be sure, I googled it.

I love language. After all this time, I'm understanding why I completed a bachelor's in Spanish Language and Literature.


I spent a lot of time in Dublin learning how to say Ireland. The way we pronounce it isn't right. The "Ire" part has an "Air" sound. And the "land" part has to be said with the tip of your tongue on the roof of your mouth. #notkidding Ask me when I'm back, and I'll say it for you. The sound of the word Ireland is beautiful when spoken by the Irish.


As I write this, I hear word pronunciations coming from YouTube in Larry's office next door. (We are in a three-bedroom bungalow here, so we each have an office.) He's prepping for his lecture today and he wants to get it right. If you're teaching Irish Politics in Ireland, you should, at a minimum, pronounce the terms correctly. (I married a teacher.)

To be sure, I googled a few terms: crack, bog and fishmonger.

For the Irish, crack is slang for fun. What a relief, after hearing our tour guide say the day was going to be filled with a bit of crack. Whipped that phone out, got outta airplane mode like a jack rabbit, and googled crack ireland.


I also googled "bog." I was pretty sure I knew what it was, but it seemed so important in Ireland, I needed to be sure.

This cheese platter was served to us at Sheridans Cheesemonger. They monger wine too.

There are lots of mongers too - for us mainly fish ones and cheese ones.


For your edification, here are a few words and phrases I've enjoy hearing in Ireland:

  • Booking = reservation

  • Concession = discount

  • Motorway = highway

  • Lovely = good, nice, fine (or whatever else you need it to mean)

  • Hard to get at it = difficult to get there

  • Mind the _____ = Watch out for _____

  • I nipped down to = I rushed out to

  • And for yourself = And for you

I wanted real adventure to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad. - James Joyce
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